Both teams win!
The Athletics endured their first tie of the spring, scoring one run against the Kansas City Royals’ one run in nine innings at Surprise Stadium in Arizona.
Both teams got off to quiet starts on offense today, with neither team scoring over the first four frames. Athletics right-hander Osvaldo Bido had a terrific start to his spring, firing two scoreless innings with four strikeouts, including the final three batters he faced. After showing promise last season the 29-year-old entered camp as one of the favorites for the 5th starter job and likely took the lead with his outing today.
Left-hander Hogan Harris was next up and he had a bit of a rougher go of it than Bido. Kansas City put two runners on in each of the two innings Harris pitched, but he managed to keep KC off the board, keeping this game tied.
Until the next inning. Right reliever Tyler Ferguson, who pitched in 48 games for the A’s last year, entered for the fifth inning and instantly served up a solo home run to the first batter he faced this spring. Luckily the A’s would answer right back in the top half of the sixth when the newly-signed Luis Urias smacked an RBI single for the A’s first run of the day. That would be the final run scored this afternoon from either team.
From there Michel Otañez, Grant Holman, Tanner Dodson, and Gunnar Hoglund each fired off a scoreless inning apiece, keeping this game tied as they each vie for bullpen jobs.
Well there’s that rare spring training tie that happens here and there. On the positive side the pitching was excellent as they held the Royals to just one run. On the other side of that coin the A’s were also only able to conjure up a single run, but at least Lawrence Butler continues to rake. He went 2-for-3 today, though with a caught-stealing as well so not a perfect game. Can’t have that every day.
Spring Training continues tomorrow afternoon at noon. The club will be taking on the San Francisco Giants, with left-hander JP Sears set to take the hill for the first time this spring.